Facility

Reviews

From a First-Timer

“I went to New Life Ayahuasca having never traveled internationally by myself, didn’t know a single person and had never done any type of plant medicines. The entire experience was life changing! From the second I arrived, I felt my fears melt away. Matt and Jeanae welcomed all of us when we arrived and made us feel right at home. The house was amazing! It’s in a beautiful location, surrounded by nature. I saw monkeys, parrots and some other animals I didn’t even know existed. You get your own room and your own bathroom. This is perfect if you need a little alone time. Most of the other places don’t offer that and the ones that do, are expensive. The food was nutritious and really good. The ceremonies were beautiful, and they are held in a safe environment. Matt helped me prepare for the ceremonies and I felt like he really cared about helping and listening to me. That’s a big deal when you’re doing something that you’ve never done before. We got to do yoga with Jeanae, who is a wonderful teacher. I met some amazing people at New Life and I felt like we all connected. Everyone was so friendly and they were easy to talk to. The groups are a little smaller which in my opinion, is the way to go. Having experienced all that I did, I would have felt very overwhelmed if I was at a retreat with 10 +. I won’t speak much about the medicine because each experience is different for each person. My experience is hard to put into words. It’s been about a month and I’m discovering new things about life and myself every day. That may sound cliche, but it’s so true. I’m not the same person I was when I arrived, and I mean that in a good way. Going to New Life Ayahuasca was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My intuition guided me here and now I understand why. I highly recommend this place! I’ll be back for sure. Thank you Matt & Jeanae!”

- Mike P

Feel the Love

“One of the most deep and profound experiences of my life. Matt is the real deal and an amazing healer. Jeanne is his perfect counterpart. From their delicious, farm to table, nutritious meals to their multiple plant medicine healing modalities, and amazing icaros, they work to massage away any emotional or physical difficulties that might be ailing you. They do so in such a grounded and wholesome way. The love and warmth is palpable. I left brighter, happier and more connected to nature and the cosmos.”

- Vinh Ngo

Follow-Up Review

“This is my second review of New Life Ayahuasca. NLA is a wonderful and at times a magical place. Those of you who have never taken the medicine might roll your eyes at my use of the term ‘magical’. That’s OK, just try it and see. Matt and Jeanae have created a safe and caring environment in which one can grow. For those who hear the call of Ayahuasca, the medicine can bring about amazing personal transformations. I am not the same man who first went to New Life a year and a half ago. Then, I was a damaged man who was haunted by a a rough childhood. I was prone to depression and quick to take offense. While I was good at my job, I wasn’t well liked because of my quick temper. Now, after three retreats, I am a changed man. My baseline is ‘happy’ and I nearly always feel content, which is not something most people can say these days. I am much less into myself and I care more about others, especially my family. I am less combative, more creative, and have an easier time seeing other people’s points of view. I feel lucky to be me and I feel gratitude every day. As a result, people like me much more which, of course makes me happier. It is a virtuous cycle. On an objective level, my EQ score has improved dramatically. Of course, this is just my experience. I cannot know what Ayahuasca will do for you. For me, though, it has changed my life – dramatically – and for the better.”

Matt’s Story – Director of NLA

Matthew Mormello

A journey to personal healing through entheogens.

Matthew Mormello, director and partner of New Life Ayahuasca, is slightly intimidating upon first impression at a looming 6’3”, but after spending a few minutes with him, any roughness his physical appearance might suggest is quickly softened by his gentle personality. Matt’s easy going nature and inviting smile make it easy to open up to him, which is a great ability when working with ayahuasca and iboga. It’s important to him to be able to relate to the people that come to New Life Ayahuasca for healing through either iboga(ine) or ayahuasca, and because his history holds a little bit of everything you can imagine, he is usually able to develop a bond quickly and really relate to what drives an individual to seek out these sacred medicines.

Matt’s journey with plant medicine began in 2010, when after years of battling drug addiction and trying every traditional rehab method avalaible without success (i.e. medicated detoxes, 30-day programs, Suboxone maintenance, churches, support groups, meditation and personal development courses) he stumbled upon an episode on National Geographic about hallucinogenic plants and their uses.

The first segment in the episode was about ayahuasca and he was immediately drawn to the sounds and images. He told himself, “This is it, this is what i have to do.”

Then, the following segment, which focused on ibogaine and its documented capacity to effectively alleviated opiate withdrawal and treat opiate addiction, redirected his focus to get ibogaine therapy.

MATT ON HBO’s VICE

Matt on HBO’s VICE

From there, he immediately got on-line and spent countless hours researching iboga(ine) from its traditional uses in Africa by Bwiti sects, to its more modern medical use of treating addictions, depression, anxiety and PTSD. He reached out to a number of facilities, sharing his situation and the intimate connection he felt to entheogens and eventually, his persistence paid off. In early 2011, he was offered the opportunity to recieve ibogaine treatment on an episode of HBO’s VICE tv (Season 1 Episode 7) . Within a few weeks, he was on a plane to Mexico for his 1st ibogaine treatment.

FULL VICE EPISDOE

Unfortunately, in 2011, Matt was on Suboxone prior to his ibogaine treatment and it was not well known that Suboxone has a binding effect in the brain, meaning the Suboxone stays in the system much longer than a short acting opiate (such as morphine or heroin), making it much more difficult to detox from. We now know that an individual must be off Suboxone (and methadone) for around 30 days prior to receiving ibogaine for the treatment to be effective and lasting, but Matt was treated with ibogaine only a few days after his last dose of Suboxone. So once he returned home and the effects of the ibogaine wore off, he started experiencing residual withdrawals that he endured for over a month before he finally couldn’t handle it any longer, and returned to a Suboxone maintenance program.

Despite this set back, he was still determined that ibogaine could work for him, so he reached out to some of the contacts he had made while filming with VICE, and in late 2013, he flew to Costa Rica for his 2nd attempt at sobriety through ibogaine therapy. His 2nd treatment was an amazing success and he rededicated himself to a healthier lifestyle, losing 60 lbs in 6 months. He wanted to continue to help himself and help others; so the facility that treated him, recognizing his passion, determination and drive, offered him the opportunity to stay and work with them to continue learning about ibogaine therapy.

Over the following year, Matt continued to learn about sacred plant medicines, participating in a peyote ceremony and dozens of ayahuasca ceremonies.

While he had a passion for ibogaine and helping other addicts recover, he felt a connection with ayahuasca unlike anything he had ever felt before, and although he didn’t know it then, ayahuasca would turn out to be the primary path in which his life was headed.

In 2014, the facility he had been working for closed its doors. Matt, never being one to give up, worked diligently with his girlfriend, Jeanae, to create a program that could offer both ibogaine therapy and ayahuasca ceremonies. They spent a few months getting all the preparations in place, and in 2015, they were finally able to open a small facility, equipped to handle just one person at a time.

Our New Facility

From there, Matt and Jeanae have been fortunate to have grown from the humble little facility that could accommodate one, to their new location as of September 2015, which can accommodate 7. They have moved from a focus on ibogaine therapy to a focus on providing comfortable and compassionate ayahuasca retreats, however ibogaine therapy is still available through a 2 week program incorporating both ibogaine and ayahuasca. They’ve dedicated a lot of time, and participated in many ceremonies with various Shaman and guides, and together they have participated in over 100 ayahuasca experiences.

Arriving in Peru

In July of 2015 they traveled to Peru, where they got to experience traditional ceremonies in the jungle where indigenous people have practiced using ayahuasca for thousands of years. They visited the shaman that makes the medicine they provide for retreats at New Life Ayahuasca, and got to see first hand how and where the brew is made.

The experience had such a profound impact on them, and helped continue to fuel their passion for the sacred medicine they both credit for saving their lives.

New Life Ayahuasca continues to grow, and Matt and Jeanae are incredibly grateful for the opportunities they’ve had and for their families that have supported, encouraged and helped make their dreams possible.